Search

Advances in diagnosis and management of allergic rhinitis

This article reviews advances in the diagnosis and management of allergic rhinitis. Recent advances in the diagnosis of allergic rhinitis include testing of local immunoglobulin E (IgE), urinary test to diagnose aspirin hypersensitivity and optical rhinometry to assess degree of...

CT-scan instead of rigid bronchoscopy in paediatric foreign body aspiration?

Many centres would still use rigid bronchoscopy as the gold standard for possible foreign body aspiration (FBA) in children. Evidence is growing that CT scanning in these situations is a reliable alternative, especially as rigid bronchoscopy (RB) still carries a...

Stenting and sinus surgery

Stents are used in sinus surgery with the aim of maintaining patency of sinus cavity avoiding restenosis from inflammation or scarring. The exact indication for stenting in sinus surgery however is still debated. The authors discussed the potential role of...

Predicting the prognosis of oral squamous cell carcinoma after salvage surgery

Loco-regional recurrence of oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma (OCSCC) continues to be a life-threatening and difficult clinical situation. Salvage surgery can result in significant morbidities, and survival following recurrence is generally poor. In this study from Ontario, Canada, prognostic factors...

Do ENT surgical patients need VTE prophylaxis?

In the UK, current NICE guidance for venous thromboembolism (VTE) prevention does not give specific advice about patients undergoing otolaryngology/head and neck surgery (OHNS). This systematic review provides up-to-date information based on available, although limited, evidence about the incidence of...

Vestibular paroxysmia, diagnostic controversy clarified?

Historically, the cause of vestibular paroxysmia (VP) had been attributed to neurovascular compression of the eighth cranial despite the observation that such compression is very common in asymptomatic subjects. This paper, part of International Classification of Vestibular Disorders (ICVD) by...

How do you solve a problem like Dysphagia?

When a patient is referred to a speech and language therapist for the management of swallowing difficulties, multiple options are available to address these issues. The choice is based on a detailed assessment of the patient’s swallowing physiology and function....

Lymph node metastases in papillary thyroid cancer

This retrospective Korean cohort study looked at the risk factors associated with bilateral lateral lymph node metastases in patients with unilateral papillary thyroid cancer. There were 11 patients who met the inclusion criteria across an 11-year period from 2009 to...

Persistent dysphonia due to cricothyroid muscle dystonia – should we be requesting laryngeal EMGs for non-resolving ‘functional’ dysphonia?

This article is an interesting report of a case of persistent voice problems affecting a 43-year-old physician that significantly compromised her ability to converse and communicate at work. Specifically, she had a fluctuating voice quality that would ‘choke off’, combined...

Difficult consultations with HPV-positive oropharnyeal cancer patients

The aetiological role of human papillomavirus (HPV) in oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) is well established, and its incidence has massively increased over the last decade, whilst the incidence of HPV-negative OPSCC is declining. Although we know that HPV-positive OPSCC...